


Not Blood-Related, still, I'm elated!

by arfrid



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: AU, Adopted Children, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Gen, Maxine "Max" Mayfield Needs a Hug, STEVE ADOPTS HER, Spies & Secret Agents, a duo i want, and need, desperately, max and steve, max needs therapy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-18
Updated: 2020-12-18
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:07:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,561
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28157307
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arfrid/pseuds/arfrid
Summary: “I introduce to you, your newest recruit. MadMax.”The eight-year-old redhead, naive as ever, smiled up at them and said, “Hi there, I’m Max.”
Relationships: Martin Brenner & Maxine "Max" Mayfield, Steve Harrington & Maxine "Max" Mayfield
Kudos: 11





	Not Blood-Related, still, I'm elated!

“I have a new agent. They’ll grow into the strongest member of the team, under my care.” The man with white hair announced.

Honestly? Steve was intrigued. It sounded like this agent was young, maybe even as young as him, the only 12-year-old member of the force. He was getting excited. Maybe finally he could connect to someone his age!

The higher-ups seemed interested, yet skeptical. “Well, Martin Brenner? May we see this agent?”

Brenner’s eyes glinted like a madman. “It’ll take a while for them to get to their full strength, but we’ll get there eventually.”

“Yes, but could we see them _now_? This _twelve_ year old child has done better than you, so this better not disappoint us.” One of the higher-ups said. Steve grinned. He loved being reminded of his achievements, his high position.

Most of all, he loved hearing the higher-ups say it.

Brenner’s eyes darkened slightly, and he glanced over at Steve in a vaguely threatening way, that made Steve want to reach for his gun. Instead, he remained as stoic as ever.

“I introduce to you, your newest recruit. MadMax.” He moved so they could see.

Steve gaped.

No, that was way too young. There was no way possible it was legal to get an agent that young, right?

The eight-year-old redhead, naive as ever, smiled up at them and said, “Hi there, I’m Max.”

Max didn’t have much free time, but the time she did have outside of lessons, she spent with Steve. And that made him so happy.

She was a genuinely funny, smart girl, at least for an eight year old.

She seemed more subdued and quiet as the years went on, but Steve just assumed that that was just… hormonal stuff.

“See how fast I’m running? See me?” 10-year-old Max asked during a mission, running towards the place they were supposed to reach. “I’m so much faster than last week!”

“Ha! I see ya!” Said Steve, intentionally going slower than her.

“You need to exercise more!” Max screamed before running faster. Steve chuckled and ran after her.

Steve huffed deep breaths as a twelve year old Max effortlessly pinned him to the ground.

The training room was empty apart from them, the sounds of trying new tricks and squeaking from the  gym mats.

“God damn it, how’d you get so strong?” Steve gasped for breath, feeling his chest. He was sure there was gonna be a bruise, but he managed a smile at her.

Max shrugged. “Training.”  


Steve winced, from both the bruise and the word. “God, Brenner must be torturing you.”

She froze for a second, panic lacing her features. Then her normal cheeky expression came back so fast he wasn’t sure if he was just imagining it. “You bet! Come on, I want to try move #167 with you.”

Steve raised his hands in defense. “Kid, you’re gonna beat me half to death, honestly.”

Max raised her eyebrows.  Steve huffed in fond annoyance. “Okay, fine, but only because you’re my sister.”

It just slipped out, but Max’s eyes lit up, and ever since then, she announced to everyone she met that she was Steve Harrington’s sister.

Steve would playfully roll his eyes whenever she said it, but then he’d ruffle her hair, which basically left no-one in doubt that they were indeed siblings.

18-year-old Steve looked around nervously. Max was supposed to meet him for weekly pizza night,  and, yeah, okay, she was occasionally late, but never forty-five minutes late.

Something must be wrong.

After ten more minutes, he decided to look for her.

His first three choices were wrong: the Pool table, the Pool, and the mini-restaurant. He knew she didn’t like her bedroom (for good reason, too. His and Max’s rooms were blank with close to no decorative items), but that was the only other logical place she’d be.

He hoped she was just in sick.

He knocked on the door, and when he didn’t get a response, he opened it. In there, he saw…

Nothing. There was no-one there. Max’s bed wasn’t made, but that was the only thing that showed she had been there.

Shit.

Heart racing, he thought of other places she would be

He racked his brain for anyone, any place she would go to.

Then it hit him.

He ran towards the training room, burst open the door, and his heart stopped.

He saw Max in a white tank top and black jeans struggling to get up.

Brenner was standing above her. Instead of offering to help her up, he kicked her in the side and sent her sprawling across the floor.

“Pick yourself up, you disappointment. I shouldn’t have invested in you; you’re as pathetic as that Harrington child.” He told her coldly, not noticing Steve watching.

Max grit her teeth. Steve thought he saw a splatter of blood around her mouth. “Don’t… Don’t call Steve p-pathetic…”

Max stuttered. She _never_ stuttered, not once in his life he had seen her stutter.

Brenner’s mouth twitched upwards. “I remember you made a friendship with that child.” He smiled coldly. “Yes, yes, don’t worry. I’ll make sure he won’t be a distraction in the future.”  
  


Max tried to get up but Brenner grabbed her by the arms and threw her across the floor. Max made a sound liked a choked sob, and it was that which shook Steve into action.

“Get the fuck away from her!” He yelled, pulling his gun out from its holster. “Get the fuck away from her right fucking now!”

Brenner looked up, his eyes panicked. He backed away and Steve walked forwards until Max was at his feet. Brenner ran before Steve could shoot him. He was about to follow the man when a groan of pain sounded from beneath him.

“Max!” He cried out. “Max, are you okay?”

Max looked at him; her eyes were blurry. “...Steve…”

“Don’t worry, Max, I’m going to get you safe.” Steve said urgently, desperately hoping it was true. Before he could grab his walkie-talkie for help, Max grabbed his wrist.

“Steve…” She groaned.

“Yeah?” He whispered.

Max lowered her voice to a whisper. “Are we still on for pizza night?”

Tears collected in Steve’s eyes. He blinked them back and took a deep breath before replying. “Yeah. Yeah, don’t worry Max. We’re still on for pizza night.” His voice broke near the end. Max nodded before promptly passing out.

He grabbed her and brought her to a medic. The kind medic, Joyce Byers, was infuriated to hear about what had happened, then informed him that Max had a bad concussion and a bruised chest which didn’t help with her breathing.

“Will she be okay?” Steve asked, tears collecting in his eyes. Joyce smiled and nodded, putting an ice pack on Max’s chest.

Steve sighed in relief; that’s what he had been hoping for.

“She may have a little trouble with breathing, but she’ll definitely live.” Joyce’s words sent alarm jolting through him. He nodded anxiously, watching the redhead on the hospital bed.

Later that same day, Brenner was arrested. Since Max was resting (and was not, under any circumstances, to be under any kind of stress, Joyce had told him firmly) he was assigned the duty of watching him get dragged away by policemen.

Brenner scowled, when he came in, but Steve saw red. He walked quickly towards him and punched him. Someone said, “Mr Harrington-”

“Shut up.” He advised them, staring straight into Brenner’s cold blue eyes. They nervously stepped back; no-one had ever seen Steve this aggravated.

“You? You’re a piece of shit. You fucking hurt Max, a child, for god knows how long. What did she ever do to you? What the fuck did she ever do to deserve that? The answer is nothing, but you will never see that. You only ever saw her as a soldier to train, a pawn to move yourself forward in the Silent Agents Program and then to get rid of once you got your place.”

Steve’s expression softened at him, for Max. “ We are talking about children, not dogs, or assets, or tools.  _Children._ That you were supposed to  _nurture_ , not train.”

Steve sighed at the man. “Take him away.” He nodded to the guard.

“I quit.” 

Dr. Owens blinked.

“You-”

“I. Quit. And so does Max.” Steve told him.

“Max is not yours to decide.” Dr. Owens told him. “And you can’t quit, you’ve made the most progress on this whole team! Other than Max, of course.”

Steve put his hand up. “Max had to deal with getting hit by a grown-ass-man, every time she had to train, apart from when she trained with me. If you think I can walk these halls without thinking of that, you’re dead wrong.”

Dr. Owens sighed. “You want Custody papers?”

Steve blinked. “...What?”

“Well, clearly, you’re adopting Max-”

“Will you- I never said- You didn’t-” Steve stuttered, turning beet red. “I… What if I’m not the right guy?”

Dr. Owens leaned forwards. “You care more about that kid than you do your own job. That should be telling enough.”

Steve opened his mouth, then closed it stupidly like a goldfish. Lost for words, he stammered his thanks.

“No problem.” Dr. Owens said. “I feel like you and that kid could have a better like outside of SAP.”

Despite everything, Steve grinned. "Hell yeah."


End file.
